Apparatus for emptying bags containing a paste-like or viscous mass



Aug. 9, 1966 J. 5. JANSSON 3,265,249

APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING BAGS CONTAINING A PASTE-LIKE OR VISCOUS MASSFiled cm. 2, 1963 FIG! United States Patent APPARATUS FQR EMPTYHNG BAGS@GNTAINHNG A PASTE-LUKE QR VKSCQUS M1355 Johan Stare Jansson,Sollentuna, Sweden, assignor to Nye Mnrbrulrsfabrilrensi StockholmAlrtieholag, Stockholm, Sweden, a company of Sweden Filed @ct. 2, 1963,Ser. No. 313,273 Claims priority, application Sweden, Get. 9, W62,10,822/62 8 (Ilaims. (Cl. 222--1l01) Hithertofore it has been necessary,as a rule, to pack up sand filling compound, so called sand putty, andother paste-like or viscous materials in sheet-metal canisters which canbe scraped clean from their contents in conjunction with the emptyingoperation. However, the cost of procuring canisters is high, which tendsto increase the selling price of the canned product, and difiicultieswill also be encountered in connection with disposal of the bulkycanisters after emptying their contents. Therefore, it has long beendesired to enable the sheet-metal canisters used heretofore to bereplaced by bags or sacks, such as plastic coated paper bags, forexample, which are cheaper to procure than canisters and can more easilybe disposed of after emptying their contents. However, the idea ofpacking sand putty and similar paste-like or viscous masses in bagscould not be practically realized up till now due to the difficulties ofemptying the'bags of their frequently greasy contents.

The invention has for its object a machine for emptying bags mode ofpaper or the like and containing .a pastelike or viscous material, forexample sand putty.

A method according to the invention resides in placing the bag to beemptied in a horizontal position on a preferably plane table, openingthe bag at one end, for instance by making a transverse cut in theuppermost wall of the bag by means of a knife or other tool, andemp.ying the bag of its contents by moving a roller under pressureagainst the bag from its closed end towards its opened end, the rollerthen pressing the bag flat against the table while forcing its contentsforwards towards and out through the opened end, whereby the bag isforcibly and completely emptied of its contents.

A machine provided according to the invention comprises a preferablyplane and rectangular table adapted to receive on it the bag to beemptied, and a roller estiliently urged against the top face of thetable and adapted to be rotated by a hand crank or the like so as to berolled over the table from one end of the latter towards the other.According to a preferred embodiment, the forces due to the rollerpressure are taken up by a reaction roller disposed beneath the tableand rolling in contact with the bottom face or" the table, said reactionroller serving at the same time to guide the pressure roller to preventthe latter from skewing relative to the longitudinal direction of thetable.

The invention will now be described more in detail with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thebag-emptying machine according to one embodiment of the inventionmounted on the pressure vessel of a travelling spray painting equipment,while FIG. 2, also in perspective view both on a larger scale, shows theemptying machine more in detail.

In the drawings, numeral 169 designates the table for receiving thereonthe bag to be emptied, numeral It]. the pressure roller over the topface of the table, and numeral 12 the reaction roller rolling inengagement with its bottom face. The table 19 comprises a rectangularsheet-metal plate E13 reinforced at its longitudinally extending edgesby two angle irons 14- welded to the bottom face of the plate. Therollers Ill and 12 are mountice ed in a frame comprising two lateralmetal guide plates d5 interconnected by two crossbars l6 and each formedat its top edge with a channel-shaped guideway 17 which, with clearance,receives the depending flange of the corresponding angle iron Thejournal pins 18 of the reaction roller 12 are mounted in top-openbearings 19 which are welded to the outer face of the lateral frameplates, respectively. Also welded to the outer face of each plate 15 isa vertically disposed guide sleeve 2t} in which a cylindrical rod 21 isslidable in its longitudinal direction. Welded to the end of the rod 2'1projecting upwards from the guide sleeve is a bottom-open bearing 22 forthe corresponding journal pin 23 of the pressure roller f ll.Compression coil springs 24 slid onto the ends of the respectivemods -21projecting downwards from the guide sleeves 2t and compressed betweenthe guide sleeve and a nut 2-5 screwed onto the lower end of the rod,maintain the two rollers 11 and d2 resiliently in engagement with thetop and bottom faces, respectively, of the table til.

Keyed onto the ends of the respective journal pins of pressure roller itand reaction roller 12 are identical gears 25, by which the two rollersare interconnected to be rotated in common and in opposite senses. Onejournal pin of pressure roller 11 is extended beyond the gear 25 andcarries a hand crank by means of which the pair of rollers id, 12 can berotated to move the pressure roller til over the top face of table tilwhile exerting resilient pressure on the same, and to move the reactionroller 12 in engagement with its bottom face. Both rollers are coveredby a coating of rubber or other resilient material having a greatcoefficient of friction relative to steel.

FIG. 1. shows the bag-emptying machine mounted on the pressure vessel 28of a travelling spray painting apparatus. The comparatively smallcharging hole of the pressure vessel 28 is adapted to be closed by a lid29. The table it! carries at its end disposed above the charging hole apivotally retractable filler funnel 3?; the top opening of which has awidth which is suitably equal to that of the table. The straight forwardedge of the funnel 3ll suitably projects inward beneath the table plate"13 to engage an abutment disposed on the bottom face thereof, when thefunnel is in its operating position, as shown in the drawing.

The mode of operation of the emptying machine will appear clearly fromFIG. 1. By turning the hand crank counter-clockwise, the machine isfirst moved to the limit position at the end of table ltd opposite tothat of the funnel So, as shown in the drawing. The the bag 31 to beemptied is placed on the table, and with one end of the bag disposed atthe opening of the funnel 359. At the latter end of the bag atransversally extending cut 32 of a suitable length is made. At itsother end, the bag 31 is flattened by hand, thereby possibly causing aportion of the contents of the bag to be pushed out through the slit 32.Thereafter, the hand crank 2-6 is turned clockwise, the pressure roller11 then entering onto the bag 31, pressing the two sides of the bagtogether and pushing, during its rolling movement, the contents of thebag forward towards and out through the slit opening 32, therebycompletely emptying the bag of its contents.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown in the drawings,various modifications being conceivable within the scope of theinvention.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for pressing a paste-type material from a pliable bag:comprising, a table mounted in a fixed, horizontal position and adaptedto support said bag thereon; guide means slidably mounted on said tableand adapted to move along said table; reaction roller means fixedlymounted in said guide means for rotation therein and transverselydisposed in contact with the lower surface of said table; pressureroller means transversely disposed in contact with the top surface ofsaid table above said reaction roller; means for maintaining saidreaction roller and said pressure roller in engagement with said table,including, spring means resiliently urging said pressure roller againstsaid table; and roller advancing means operatively connected to saidpressure roller and said reaction roller and adapted to turn saidrollers in opposite directions and advance said rollers along said tableby the frictional engagement of one of said rollers with said table.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the table has a pair ofdownwardly depending flanges along its opposing sides and the guidemeans includes a pair of generally U-shaped, elongated channels adaptedto receive said flanges and slide therealong.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 2 where-in the guide meansincludes a pair of plates depending downwardly from the channels and thereaction roller is rotatably mounted in said plates.

4. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the spring meansresiliently urges the pressure roller against the table through theguide means.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the guide means aremounted beneath the table and the spring means includes avertically-disposed sleeve fixedly mounted on the guide means, avertically-disposed shaft fixedly connected to the pressure roller andslidably ex- 30 tending downwardly through said sleeve and a helicalspring mounted on the lower, free end of said sleeve and biased againstthe bottom end of said sleeve.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the roller advancingmeans includes gear means operatively connecting the rollers and crankmeans for turning one of said rollers.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein a funnel means ismounted at one end of the table and is adapted to receive the paste-typematerials pressed from the bag and direct it downwardly.

8. Apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein the funnel means ispivotally mounted on the table to rotate about a horizontal axis.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,079,325 11/1913Blue 101269 1,695,599 12/1928 Merzoian 222-101 X 1,985,701 12/1934Vandercook et al. 101269 1,991,020 12/1935 Lamb 101269 2,545,342 3/1951Choquette 222101 2,837,243 6/1958 Zehnik 222101 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,8696/ 1907 Great Britain.

EVON C. BLUNK, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner.

N. L. STACK, Assistant Examiner.

1. APPARAUTS FOR PRESSING A PASTE-TYPE MATERIAL FROM A PLIABLE BAG: COMPRISING, A TABLE MOUNTED IN A FIXED, HORIZOTAL POSITION AND ADAPTED TO SUPPORT SAID BAG THEREON; GUIDE MEANS SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TABLE AND ADAPTED TO MOVE ALONG SAID TABLE; REACTION ROLLER MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR ROTATION THEREIN AND TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED IN CONTACT WITH THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID TABLE; PRESSURE ROLLER MEANS TRANSVERSELY DISPOSED IN CONTACT WITH THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID TABLE WITH SAID TABLE, INCLUDING SPRING MEANS RESILIENTLY URGING SAID PRESSURE ROLLER AGAINST SAID TABLE; AND ROLLER ADVANCABOVE SAID REACTION ROLLER; MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID REACTION ROLLER AND SAID PRESSURE ROLLER IN ENGAGEMENT 